Tag: Bald Eagle

Big Bear Lake, CA, March 8, 2014 – Migrating bald eagles love to winter in the San Bernardino Mountains with most of them choosing Big Bear Lake as their winter home. They’re usually found near water because their diet is primarily made up of fish and ducks. Sometimes during particularly cold nights, Coots, a breed of bird on our lake, will get stuck in the ice which make them easy prey for the eagles, earning them the nickname, Cootsicles. Once on the brink of extinction, breeding populations of bald eagles in Southern California had been completely wiped out by the late 1950s and the southern-most nest site known in California was north of San Francisco in Lake County. Reintroduction efforts began in the 1980s on Catalina Island. In fact, a female hatched at the San Francisco Zoo in 2000 was released on Catalina and in 2004 made her way to Lake Hemet and decided to take up year round residence with the male eagle already there. However, the first successful bald eagle nesting ever recorded in the San Bernardino Mountains happened right here in Big Bear Lake. Through radio tracking, biologists have learned that many of the same individual eagles return year after year. Some of our eagles were tracked all the way to the Northwest Territories in Canada which is a 2000 mile trip one-way, while others only...

Big Bear, Ca, February 9, 2012, 12:00pm – The Discovery Center is once again seeking volunteers for this weekends Eagle Count on February 11th. No experience is needed, but volunteers are encouraged to dress warmly and bring binoculars and a watch. Volunteers should meet at the Discovery Center located on North Shore Drive at 8:00am on February 11th. In addition to the eagle counting, there will also be a celebration for the Bald Eagle at 11:00am, in which US Forest Service Biologists will host a free one hour educational Eagle presentation at the Discovery Center. Attendees will learn about the Eagles’ migration and behavior habits, an overview of hazards that have affected Eagles throughout history, and how the Eagle has recovered from historical lows as an endangered species in the 1970’s. Our Bald Eagles normally migrate out of the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains in late March, heading back to summer homes in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Alberta, Canada. In recent years, a pair of Bald Eagles has remained at Lake Hemet and successfully produced several...

Big Bear, Ca, January 10, 2012, 3:00pm – On Saturday January 14th, the second bald eagle count of the winter will be conducted around lakes in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains and your help is needed! During the first bald eagle count in December, a grand total of 9 eagles (5 adults and 4 juveniles) were observed at the lake areas. The number of bald eagles in southern California typically starts of low in December, peaking in January and February, and tapers off in March. The Forest Service is looking for volunteers to help count bald eagles this Saturday. Volunteer’s will be stationed at vantage points around Big Bear Lake, in which they will map and note any eagle observations during a 1-hour period on Saturday Morning. “Through this method, the Forest Service has acquired information about areas eagles use and fluctuations in population numbers,” said Forest Service wildlife biologist Marc Stamer. “There’s no experience needed for volunteers and this is a wonderful opportunity to catch a glimpse of our breath-taking national symbol.” In addition to Saturday mornings eagle count, February 11, and March 10. Volunteers will meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Big Bear Discovery Center on North Shore Drive. Contact Robin Eliason 909-382-2832 for more...

Big Bear, Ca, December 14, 2011, 3:00pm – The Forest Service is looking for volunteers to help count bald eagles this Saturday. This is the 34th Season in which winter bald eagle counts have taken place in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountain areas. Volunteer’s will be stationed at vantage points around Big Bear Lake, in which they will map and note any eagle observations during a 1-hour period on Saturday Morning. “Through this method, the Forest Service has acquired information about areas eagles use and fluctuations in population numbers,” said Forest Service wildlife biologist Marc Stamer. “There’s no experience needed for volunteers and this is a wonderful opportunity to catch a glimpse of our breath-taking national symbol.” In addition to Saturday mornings eagle count, there will be counts on January 14, February 11, and March 10. Volunteers will meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Big Bear Discovery Center on North Shore Drive. Contact Robin Eliason 909-382-2832 for more...